Sustainable Plastics - July/August 2022 - 30

inside at...CBA
continued from page 29
policymakers, regulators, and
legislators alike.
With its diverse membership,
the CBA has the distinct advantage
of a 360-degree view and
insight into the global chemical
supply chain, which combined
with the extensive and in-depth
expertise of its staff enables it to
play an active and instrumental
role with policymakers. In
the UK, the association works
closely with and engages at all
levels of Government to provide
evidence, feedback and advice
directly to Ministers, departments
such as the DfT and DIT,
and bodies such as the Health
and Safety Executive.
Further afield, the association
is in discussions with both the
Indian High Commission and
the German Embassy to promote
trade between the UK and
these important economies.
More recently It has also attended
a Belgian Economic Mission
'Ports and Supply Chain' event.
Taking place in the presence of
HRH Princess Astrid, Princess
of Belgium and Ministers, past
and current challenges were
considered, in particular the
importance of robust, reliable,
and sustainable supply chains,
along with the many opportunities
to create and increase trade
between the UK and Belgium.
The CBA was also invited to
a reception at the Danish Embassy,
where industry heads,
Government and NGOs came
together to discuss 'Decarbonising
Our Buildings and the
Role of Heat Networks'. This
event particularly highlights
how the chemical industry has
a key and leading role to play
in decarbonisation - both as
a consumer of energy and in
developing and enabling alternative
safe and sustainable
solutions for the future - and
the CBA is at the forefront of
working with countries such
as Denmark not to mention the
UK, which lead the world in areas
such as heat networks and
wind-generated power.
The association is also an active
member of the International
Chemical Trade Association
(ICTA).
Ensuring compliance
In addition to environmental
30
July/August 2022
Chemicals play
a critical and
far-reaching role
in society. They
must be part of
the solution.
gerous Goods Safety Adviser
(DGSA) services through its
own in-house DGSAs, as well
as training and support on everything
from the carriage of
dangerous goods through to
the Control of Major Accident
Hazards (COMAH).
Furthermore, the association
provides a helpdesk which
members can contact for assistance
on everything from
technical advice through to
questions on importing and
exporting and customs formalities.
This service has seen record
levels of demand over the
course of the last few years,
especially due to the significant
changes, continuing challenges,
and ongoing disruptions.
In addition to the services
regulation, myriad laws regulate
the chemical industry and
industries that use chemicals.
In fact, chemical legislation is
as wide-ranging as the possible
chemical applications. With
multiple moving parts and many
stakeholders involved, it is challenging
for companies everywhere
to keep operations compliant
and running smoothly.
To prevent risks such as
breaches of regulations, laws,
or international agreements -
and the ensuing fines and reputational
damage - compliance
with legal requirements as well
as commitments to environmental,
human, and ethical behaviour
are prerequisites for the
chemical supply chain industry.
Considering this, an area of
major concern is UK REACH
(Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation
and Restriction of
Chemicals). Introduced following
Brexit, it is effectively a replication
of EU REACH and the
CBA has repeatedly raised concerns
about the practicality and
workability of UK REACH and
the need for duplication and
repeated costs from the outset.
The association has continued
to press the Government
and in late 2021 it achieved a
significant breakthrough when
DEFRA announced it would
consult on extending the deadlines
for UK REACH, whilst
investigating a new data model
that would be workable as
well as affordable for business.
The CBA is continuing to work
directly with Government to
achieve the objective.
More specifically, many CBA
members are affected by the
Plastic Packaging Tax introduced
in April 2022, impacting both UK
manufacturers of plastic packaging
and UK importers of plastic
packaging, whether the imported
packaging is unfilled or filled. In
order to keep its members best
informed and prepared, the CBA
worked with various stakeholders
to communicate the requirements
and to support companies
in implementing them. This
included 'Online Clinics', along
with 'Best Practice Workshops'
and guidance documents which
are all designed to support and
inform members on a wide range
of topics.
Guiding businesses
In another important role, the
CBA supports UK businesses
on the ground. This includes
training in the form of workshops
and seminars, which are
available online as well as faceto-face.
These workshops and
seminars cover a wide range of
subjects that are of value and
benefit to both members and
non-members, including compliance,
regulations, and best
practice. Recently, the association
introduced Carbon Literacy
training sessions which allow
participants who successfully
complete the course to become
certified as being 'Carbon Literate'
and who can subsequently
train others.
The CBA also offers Danoffered,
the CBA understands
the importance and value of
networking for members and
facilitates this through events
such as regular member engagement
days, exhibitions and
an annual lunch, affectionately
known as 'Floggers', which has
for decades been an unmissable
event for anyone and everyone
in the chemical supply
chain and attracts attendees
from all over the world.
Additionally, following Brexit,
the CBA has played a key role
in helping members understand
transport in the EU, guiding
them through customs formalities
and changing import and
export rules.
It is also internationally recognised
for its expertise in
chemical security, as well as
for providing workshops on
transport site security and
countering the threat of terrorism
to members. In this area it
provides representation and
consultancy services to various
overseas security and government
agencies.
Sustainable supply
chain
Over the last two years, several
factors have wrought havoc on
the chemical supply chain. In
addition to battling Covid-related
challenges, companies
have had to deal with regulatory
changes and increased bureaucracy
due to Brexit. At the same
time, the supply chain has experienced
multiple disruptions,
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